Peres: Carter damaged 'peace process'
Israeli President Shimon Peres told former US President Dhimmi Carter last night that Carter had damaged the 'peace process' by publishing his book "Palestine - Peace Not Apartheid" two years ago. In the book, Carter accused Israel of being an 'apartheid state.' Peres also criticized Carter's plans to meet with Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, calling Meshaal a "murderer and terrorist."Of the four Israeli politicians who were originally scheduled to meet with Carter, Defense Minister Ehud Barak has now thought twice about it, which means that Carter will now meet only with opposition MK's Eli Yishai and Avigdor Lieberman. While both are fools for meeting with Carter, neither is likely to be very sympathetic to him.
Carter had an 'exclusive interview' with Haaretz on Sunday (with Akiva Eldar, one of their most leftist writers) in which he tried to back up his claim that US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice had not asked him not to meet with Meshaal. Like everyone else, Condi was too busy to speak with the aging Dhimmi.
"Before I went to Nepal, I put in a call for Condoleeza Rice just to have a personal conversation with her about my plans," Carter said. "I went over the entire itinerary. She could not take my call because she was traveling in Europe, so she asked David Welch, who is the assistant secretary of state. We had a 20-minute conversation, which was very pleasant, never a single negative word and not a single request that I modify my itinerary."Carter has also 'forgiven' the Presidential candidates for criticizing him (somehow, I suspect the only one whose criticism may not have been sincere was Barack Hussein Obama, who has also met with more than his share of terrorists).
Carter said he understood the pressures on the presidential candidates to release statements critical of his meetings with Hamas. "I forgive them all and I understand their motivations," he said.Carter also does a little revising of history in the interview.
"When I was elected [president], there was no pressure on me to even initiate a peace process between Israel and its Arab neighbors. In fact, Israel's Arab neighbors were considered to be despicable and permanent enemies. Egypt had been to war with Israel 4 times in 25 years. I decided that the only way to make peace was to meet with everyone. I met with [Hafez] Assad in Geneva, Switzerland, I met with Sadat, I met with Rabin, King Hussein, all of them, because I didn't see a way of achieving a peaceful solution without involving all the people - on a respectful basis - who would have to pay a crucial role in the final decision."Except that the initiative for the Egyptian treaty did not come from Carter but from Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, who finally decided to accept a long-standing invitation and come to Jerusalem.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:53 AM
3 Comments:
Don't forget Kissinger, he also deserves much of the credit for creating conditions that lead to peace. Much more than Carter, anyway.
In the last paragraph you quote, Carter says "I met with [Hafez] Assad in Geneva, Switzerland, I met with Sadat, I met with Rabin, King Hussein, all of them.." - notice that he leaves out Menachem Begin, who was certainly instrumental in achieving the accord - it seems that Carter can't even bear to mention his name or give him any credit whatsoever.
Never mind, I take back my previous comment - now that I read the linked article, I see the next question and answer:
"Q: Do you suspect that Menachem Begin misled you in on the Palestinian issue, and that he intended from the outset to conclude a separate peace with Egypt?
A: Begin committed to withdraw Israeli military and political forces from the occupied territories and then also to give the Palestinians full autonomy. I had written in the text 'to give Palestinians autonomy,' and he insisted that we put in 'full autonomy.' Begin was extremely courageous, honest and fair. "
Wow. So Eldar tried to lead him to bash Begin, and he instead complimented him as "extremely courageous, honest and fair".
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